The Ford Barn - Model A (1928-31) https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/ en Thu, 04 Jun 2026 01:09:13 GMT vBulletin 60 https://fordbarn.com/forum/hamb/misc/rss.jpg The Ford Barn - Model A (1928-31) https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/ Classtique Upholstery Car Show in 1 week https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357973&goto=newpost Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:40:04 GMT The Classtique Upholstery Car Show is next Wednesday. Hundreds of people are expected, so please bring a car to show. Mike Francis Classtique... The Classtique Upholstery Car Show is next Wednesday. Hundreds of people are expected, so please bring a car to show.

Mike Francis
Classtique Upholstery
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]]> Model A (1928-31) Upholstery Mike https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357973 identify arm perhaps? https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357967&goto=newpost Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:54:56 GMT Any idea what this is for? Thanks guys. Any idea what this is for?

Thanks guys.
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]]> Model A (1928-31) Kube https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357967 OT: 1935 Richardo and a two stoke Spitfire engine https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357964&goto=newpost Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:04:14 GMT "What Ricardo and the Rolls-Royce team under project engineer Harry Wood and chief designer Eddie Gass produced between 1937 and 1945 was an engine that rewrote what was theoretically possible from a reciprocating piston powerplant"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYAAGaVVgXQ ]]> Model A (1928-31) updraught https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357964 MAFCA Meet in Pendleton https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357963&goto=newpost Wed, 03 Jun 2026 04:13:42 GMT Ford Barn Gathering in Pendleton Monday evening at 6:00 20 + Ford Barn posters met at John’s Pizza. We were able to meet in person several of our... Ford Barn Gathering in Pendleton
Monday evening at 6:00 20 + Ford Barn posters met at John’s Pizza. We were able to meet in person several of our friends on Ford Barn. After about 1-1/4 hours, I stood up and had everyone stand up and introduce themselves and tell the group what their Ford Barn name was. I also took a picture of the group.


Today, Tuesday, there was vehicle judging and fashion judging. The vehicle judging had everything from a 12/27 coupe to a 12/31 small Mail Truck. There were 8 vehicles in Fine point, 3 in Touring class, and 4 in modified.
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]]> Model A (1928-31) Bill Cilker https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357963 Electrical question help https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357958&goto=newpost Tue, 02 Jun 2026 23:30:39 GMT I have a high compression "B" engine with Miller Overhead, having trouble starting it with a 6 volt starter. It turns over one rev and very slowly. The cables are getting hot too. It does not seem to have a very strong spark either.
I had it running fine on a test stand with 6 volts, but it is not starting since I put it in the Speedster. It has dual downdrafts and dual point distributor. Also thinking going to a Zenith and regular distributor.
And, I am thinking of buying a 12 volt starter so it will rev over faster. Do you know of a voltage reducer so I can run everything except the starter on 6 volts??
This is for my Speedster. Thanks for any help.

Dick Knapp, just turned 89 and would like to start enjoying this Speedster.
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]]> Model A (1928-31) DKnapp https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357958 steering gearbox oil https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357956&goto=newpost Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:39:25 GMT I am currently rebuilding a 2-tooth steering column/gearbox. The 7-tooth in my car currently I used Penrite semi fluid gearbox lube. For this 2-tooth... I am currently rebuilding a 2-tooth steering column/gearbox. The 7-tooth in my car currently I used Penrite semi fluid gearbox lube. For this 2-tooth I am looking at trying the Millers Oils vintage worm steering box oil, sold on Amazon. Has anyone used this or is it not a good product for the 2-tooth gearbox. Planning to do the swap next winter so thought I would get a jump on the Barn opinions. Thanx. ]]> Model A (1928-31) Klattu1929 https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357956 1931 all stainless English Headlamp https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357955&goto=newpost Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:34:43 GMT This is the headlamp that would have been fitted to the Gilmore English Deluxe Phaeton. I wonder if she still has them? Note stainless buttons over... This is the headlamp that would have been fitted to the Gilmore English Deluxe Phaeton. I wonder if she still has them? Note stainless buttons over rivets and mounting ball. It rains in England….



From John Charlton in slightly damp thunder and lightening Suffolk County England ]]> Model A (1928-31) Juggler https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357955 The English de Luxe phaeton at Gilmore . https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357951&goto=newpost Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:24:13 GMT I have seen several fleeting views of the car most attention being on Edisons no i phaeton and quite rightly so .The phaeton can be clearly seen to... I have seen several fleeting views of the car most attention being on Edisons no i phaeton and quite rightly so .The phaeton can be clearly seen to have undergone an American restoration as English features been removed ( in all innocence ) The fender lamps have gone and replaced by cowl lights which were not legal in England . Cowl lights are not in the English parts book and no English car ever had them . English head lamps had no Ford Twolite script on the top as they only ever had a single bulb reflector . The fender lights were a legal requirement . The head lamp lenses used the USA mold so said Ford Twolite but were the same violet colour as Model T and are very pretty with a good clean reflector . The original headlamps have most likely been replaced as over restored as the script was polished out I do have a correct pair of 31 headlamps which I could donate I will get my son to post a picture hopefully .

John in rain showers Suffolk County England . ]]> Model A (1928-31) john charlton https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357951 Distributor Heat Shield https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357942&goto=newpost Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:25:34 GMT Is it worthwhile to install a distributor heat shield? Is it worthwhile to install a distributor heat shield? ]]> Model A (1928-31) Fred Ryan https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357942 Model A Doodlebug Revival https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357935&goto=newpost Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:51:07 GMT Hi everyone, I'm the proud owner of a Model A Doodlebug that has been sitting for many years and I'd like to get it running and driving again. I thought I'd ask all the experts on here for some advice before I dig in to make sure I don't accidentally do more harm than good in the process.

I inherited the Doodlebug from my grandfather when he passed away in 2002 and he likely picked it up at a swap meet many years prior. It has a wooden park bench for a seat and a single-bottom plow hanging off the back, although it's never done any actual work in my lifetime. My grandpa drove it in local parades, showed it at car and tractor shows, and brought it to the State Fair to display every year. I have many fond memories of driving around the yard with my grandpa and then my dad after we brought it home, and as I got older it was the first vehicle I really learned how to drive myself. I started driving it through parades in my hometown and tooling around the neighborhood a few times every summer.

In the summer of 2014, I drove it in a 4th of July parade in the next town over from my hometown. I drove it 6 miles on gravel to the parade in the morning when it was cooler outside with no issues, then later in the afternoon it sputtered and quit halfway through the route and wouldn't start again. It seemed to me like it was vapor locking, although I can't say for sure that's what it was. I do remember it being very hot that day. I let it cool down and sit for a while, and it fired right back up like nothing was ever wrong. I started toward home and I believe it quit again once or twice on the way back but eventually made it home. I honestly can't remember if I drove it later that summer or not to see if the problem persisted. A tale as old as time followed; I graduated high school and moved to college the following summer, worked at internships between semesters, got a job on the other side of the state after my degree, and unfortunately the Doodlebug has sat untouched in my parents' garage for the last ~12 years. At least it's been on a concrete floor and under a roof that whole time and not out in the elements. I'm now looking at moving back closer to home and have my own son to begin making memories with, so the urge to get the Doodlebug running again has been extra strong lately. For now, I'll just have to work on it occasionally when I'm back visiting my parents so it will be slow going at first, but hopefully once we move closer I can devote more consistent time to it.

I looked up the serial number of the engine once a long time ago and I'm pretty sure I remember it being a 1929. It's an original 4 cylinder Model A engine as far as I can tell. I also remember finding another serial number on the body or the frame somewhere and it didn't match the number on the engine, and I think that number might have decoded to a 1930 but I'm not as confident about that. I suppose the engine and the frame/body could have come from different vehicles. It is a bit of a Frankenstein by definition after all. It only has one transmission, not two like many other Doodlebugs I've read about. Again it seems to be the standard transmission out of a Model A based on my very limited knowledge. I also know it's been converted to 12v from the original 6v system. The radiator has always had a small leak; enough to need to check the coolant every time we drove it but not so much that it would be an issue when just driving around the neighborhood. My guess of vapor lock during the parade came from the symptoms of sputtering and choking before it died, starting and running just fine after cooling down, and the fact that the fuel line from the gas tank into the carb is uninsulated and runs right by the exhaust manifold on the way to the carb. I'm sure I was running some sort of Ethanol blend at the time which I've read can be more susceptible to vapor lock. It's also still a gravity system from the tank so there was no fuel pump to help power through any air bubbles. I'm sure there will be more that comes back to me after I get a chance to get a better look at it next time I'm down at my parents' house, but that's the gist for now.

My current plan is to drain any old gas from the tank, fuel lines, and carb, change the oil, drain/flush/refill the coolant, and maybe try to clean and adjust the carb if I think it needs it. Although I'll probably try to see if it actually runs first before I dig too far into the carb since I've heard they can be finnicky and hard to find parts for. I'd like to try to wrap the fuel lines in some sort of insulation as well. I'll also make sure to try to turn the engine over by hand first to make sure it's not stuck before I throw a new battery on there and crank the starter. Anything else I should be looking for before running it for too long? I have an engineering degree and try to do as many of my own vehicle repairs as possible so I feel like I'm up for the challenge but these old engines are a bit farther out of my wheelhouse than I'm used to.

Thanks in advance for any advice you all might have for me. I've attached the only two pictures I could find without digging through a bunch of old SD cards. They're from a parade I drove the Doodlebug in in 2011. Please excuse my crude redactions; I promise my head isn't normally that square! I'll upload more photos as I begin working on it and get it unburied from the garage.
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]]> Model A (1928-31) RunninMan https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357935 2026 Old Car Festival - The Henry Ford, Dearborn Michigan https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357929&goto=newpost Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:14:49 GMT Just a friendly heads-up. The registration period for the 2026 Old Car Festival is open now. Last year the slots filled up in 5 days. Also who... Just a friendly heads-up. The registration period for the 2026 Old Car Festival is open now. Last year the slots filled up in 5 days.

Also who will be coming from the Barn and what are you bringing this year. ]]> Model A (1928-31) https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357929 Identity an old sedan, not Model A https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357915&goto=newpost Sun, 31 May 2026 21:17:57 GMT I have been trying to ID the old sedan in the photos. In the summer of 1939 my mother and 4 girlfriends went on a road trip from Springfield,... I have been trying to ID the old sedan in the photos.
In the summer of 1939 my mother and 4 girlfriends went on a road trip from Springfield, Illinois to the 1939 fair in San Francisco. They went all over the western part of the US, including Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Crater Lake and
down to Los Angeles after the fair. Then back to Springfield.
I recently came across photos, postcards and letters from their trip.
I regret never having asked her about their adventures.
Anyhow, can one of you car enthusiasts help determine what the car was?
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]]> Model A (1928-31) Vern https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357915 Looking for Robe cord brackets https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357911&goto=newpost Sun, 31 May 2026 19:11:19 GMT I have a 1930 Town Sedan and am looking to jazz things up a bit by installing a robe cord behind the back seat. In my search for brackets I have... I have a 1930 Town Sedan and am looking to jazz things up a bit by installing a robe cord behind the back seat. In my search for brackets I have discovered that none of the suppliers carry them anymore-they are no longer manufactured. Does anyone have or know of where I can get a set of brackets like the photo below? Thanks
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]]> Model A (1928-31) Forever A https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357911 Window Shades. https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357910&goto=newpost Sun, 31 May 2026 18:32:36 GMT The subject of window shades and making tassels came up at our shop the other day. Does anyone know which body styles had shades or where I might... The subject of window shades and making tassels came up at our shop the other day. Does anyone know which body styles had shades or where I might find this info. Thanks. ]]> Model A (1928-31) Y-Blockhead https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357910 Car sitting for a couple years https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357905&goto=newpost Sun, 31 May 2026 13:27:50 GMT I have a 31 tudor sedan. Due to some physical issues it has been about 2 and 1/2 years Since anything has been done to it, I would like to get it... I have a 31 tudor sedan. Due to some physical issues it has been about 2 and 1/2 years Since anything has been done to it, I would like to get it started back up but was wondering if I should add anything into the cylinders through the spark plug and let it set first since it hasn't had any oil circulating in my long time or should I just change the oil and give it a start? ]]> Model A (1928-31) Don-Ohio https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357905